The Thing You Love Most
by FreyaNyneveAri The Pen Dragon
Summary: This is a small one shot written as a standalone piece for a climactic fight against Grindelwald. Protecting a mysterious object known only as "The Key,"Newt must make a choice that might change the quartet lives forever, and make him realize important truths about his own.


p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"background: Newt Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, Queenie Goldstein, and Tina Goldstein are in a dark room with green walls and obsidian floor. There is an air of darkness about the place as well as sophistication, a place only known as Grindelwald's lair. A mysterious object, a glowing stone, known only as The Key, sitting fastened in a box in the far corner. Queenie and Jacob are trying to free it from its bonds, while Newt and Tina fight Grindelwald, sparks flying as their wands whip in all directions. Newt's suitcase lies locked and in the middle of the floor— their way of being smuggled in./span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Grindelwald flung a stunning spell at Newt, who dodged it deftly Tina parried with a stinging jinx. Grindelwald jumped back, smiling./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Are we going to keep going tit for tat like this, or shall we do something fun?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""You're the one who is playing games, Grindelwald." Said Newt. "Give us the key, and I promise there will be leniency."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Leniency!? Ha! Been listening to Dumbledore, have you?" A green killing curse flew past Newt's ear, and he rolled to dodge it. Tina lodged a stunning spell, which managed to hit Grindelwald in the thigh. "Agh!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Newt got up, breathing hard as Tina came beside him. Looking at Queenie and Jacob out of the corner of his eye, he could see they were motioning to him. They needed his help, but Gellert was too focused. He turned back to the dark wizard./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""He still loves you, Gellert!" Newt shouted, half hoping that the wizard would take it to heart. "Always has. Always will. If you pay for your crimes, he will help you to go home."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Grindelwald's eyes widened, taking on an almost red sheen as he laughed. "You and your love, boy! Love is not enough! You must have ambition! Drive! A common desire! A greater good to strive for…" He turned away and Newt could see the sadness in his eyes for just a moment. "When love is taken from you, that is all that is left — all that you need." There was a flicker. Something that Newt understood, and felt the chill travel down his spine. The red eyes ticked just slightly toward the case. Newt's heart seemed to freeze. "Let's see if you understand when the one thing you love is taken from you."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""NO!" Without thinking he apparated toward the case, cradling it in his arms. Shouting a defiant "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"PROTEGO!"/em/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""AVADA KEDAVRA"/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He raised the shield charm and prepared for the worst. There was a flash of green light, and the shriek of Tina's scream combined with Queenie's. Newt heard Jacob cry out, but felt nothing. Was this what it felt like to die?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Then he realized his eyes were closed. That he was still holding on to the case. He looked down, a flood of relief filling his lungs, until he looked up and saw Grindelwald's slick smile./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Oh no, no my boy," he said, in almost a whisper." That would've been far too easy." His head tilted ever so slightly to the right. Newt followed them./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"There she was, lying limp on the shining black floor./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He had guessed wrong./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No. NO!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He felt his throat ache with the screams, but heard nothing as his feet slipped on his way toward her. He felt the skin of his palms and knees burn as he almost slid into her, gathering her up in his arms, eyes closed, skin already pale./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Tina, no! Tina, Please!" Hot tears began to stream down his face and he wiped them on his sleeve before they could fall on her. He was losing his voice, his chest tightening like a cord. "Tina, come back to me. I chose wrong. I chose wrong, I'm sorry sweetheart, please breathe!" He shook her shoulders, touched her hair. His fingers grazed her cheek, still warm. He looked up at Grindelwald, his hands shaking./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""You hurt her." He said. "You hurt an innocent woman. A human being! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Grindelwald only laughed, a high mirthless laugh. "You and Albus are cut from the same cloth, boy! Putting people ahead of yourselves as if that's going to get you anywhere! I would've thought you would use the distraction to go for the key, but no you go for your mutated dogs, weeping over the woman you love like a child. If Dumbledore and you had chosen power, it wouldn't have to be this way! You em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"and/em your Tina would've been on top, alongside me and Albus, with people like em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"him/em staying at the bottom where they belong!" He brandished the butt of his wand at Jacob. "Now you will learn the price I had to pay." He shoved his wand in his pocket, and prepared to disaparate./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Not so fast, Gellert!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Grindelwald stopped, turning around. Just as Newt did. He would've recognized that voice anywhere./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""How pleasant of you to join us, Albus!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"The young blue-eyed wizard with his Auburn beard, sauntered forward wand in hand. His eyes were determined, but his mouth was set in a grim line. "This is gone far enough Gellert! Surrender now and come quietly!"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Ah, Albus you forget me! Since when have you known me to come quietly?" He shot a killing spell toward Dumbledore who parried it as though it were a passing wind./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""It was worth a try." And thenspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanthe spells begin to fly. Jacob and Queenie made their way over to Newt but he brushed them off./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Let go of me." He said, pushing away Jacob's hand. "Tina, can you hear me?"The crashing of the spells rang in his ears, but his attention did not move. "Tina I was wrong… I…. I thought the case," his voice broke," I thought the case was most important, but— oh God. Tina please!" He held her to him, holding up her head with one hand as it lolled threateningly backward. "I can't do this. Not again. Please! First, Leta and now—" he looked up at Queenie, whose eyes were streaming./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Queenie, read her mind. What is she saying, Queenie? Go on, tell me, please, please."Queenie's lip trembled, and she hid her face in Jacob's shoulder. "No. No. This can't be happening. She can't be gone." He looked up just in time to see Grindelwald disaparate. He felt nothing./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""SOMEBODY HELP! Somebody help us please!" Dumbledore strode over but he could barely see him through the tears./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He felt his teacher's hand on his shoulder. "Newt."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No. No Albus, you can't take her. You can't take her from me, Albus… Not yet."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""I'm not going to take her, Newton. I'm going to help her. Give her to me, now please."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""No,no. I can see it in your eyes. You're giving up. You're all giving up!" He glared around at all of them. "This might be my fault but I'm not letting her- what are you doing?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"Dumbledore was kneeling on the ground gently unbuttoning Tina's shirt. Gently, he pulled out her circular locket, now blackened, charred and smoldering./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""What?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Grindelwald told me the locket took most of the curse. She's badly stunned, but nothing more. A trip to St. Mungo's in Paris should put her right."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"He waved his hand over Tina's face, muttering a spell, using his wand is a sort of measure. In a few moments, Newt felt his hands trembling as Tina opened her eyes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""Oh good gravy!" Jacob said, as Queenie squealed with quiet relief. Tina looked around confused./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;""What happened? I thought—"/span/p  
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"The tears began to fall, yet again as he held her to him, as hard as he could without hurting her. He held her face in his hands, fingers still trembling. "Shh, Shh, Shh…" He distanced himself only to press his lips to her forehead, then putting his against hers. "You're all right now. I've got you. I've got you. It's all right. You're all right now." He held her and rocked gently back and forth, while she stayed still staring over his shoulder, confused. /span/p  
/div 


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